A significant fire broke out at a scrap yard in Taunton during the early hours of Sunday, 26 July, prompting a swift response from multiple fire crews. Firefighters from Taunton, Bridgwater, Wellington, and Wiveliscombe were mobilised to tackle the blaze, which was reported shortly after midnight.
Residents in the Priory Way area were alerted by loud bangs and the sound of sirens as emergency services rushed to the scene. Upon arrival, firefighters found the scrap metal facility well alight, with the fire spreading to nearby trees. The fire crews worked tirelessly to extinguish the flames, remaining on site until 3:11am.
The operation involved five fire appliances, an incident command unit, a water carrier, and an aerial ladder platform. Crews utilised three main jets, one hose reel jet, two sets of breathing apparatus, the aerial ladder platform, and water from the carrier to bring the fire under control.
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The cause of the fire has been determined as accidental ignition. Thankfully, the owners of the scrap yard confirmed that no machinery was damaged during the incident.
“We would like to say a huge thank you to all the fire fighters that attended our Taunton yard fire last night. Luckily it was all dealt with in a couple of hours and no machinery was damaged. We will be open for business as usual Monday morning,” the yard’s owners stated.
Taunton Fire Station shared images capturing the intensity of the blaze and the heroic efforts of the crews using hose reel jets to suppress the flames. Their readiness and swift action prevented further damage and ensured the safety of the surrounding area.